Air traffic in the Nordic region flowed more smoothly during 2025, especially for travellers passing through the largest international airports. According to internal data from AirAdvisor, hubs such as Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki handled more flights than the previous year, while the proportion of delays decreased.
At these airports, fewer than 2.5 percent of flights were delayed by more than an hour, and
long delays of three hours or more were still uncommon. Cancellation rates were
under one percent despite high traffic.
– These are strong figures by European standards, says Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and
at AirAdvisor. The major Nordic hubs have stabilised their operations and are now providing
travellers an even more predictable travel experience than in previous years.
Stockholm Arlanda has the lowest number of disruptions among the major airports in Scandinavia.
and ranks as the region's most punctual hub, even though Helsinki-Vantaa still
shows slightly better punctuality when looking at the whole of the Nordics. Arlanda's punctuality improved
from 2.32 percent of flights that were more than an hour delayed in 2024 to 1.95 percent
by 2025, which further strengthens the airport's reputation as one of the most reliable
Alternatives for travellers in Scandinavia.
Kastrup handled the most flights among Nordic countries in 2025 and also had
the highest proportion of delays among the major airports, with 2.5 % of flights delayed by more than one
one hour late. The delay rate at Oslo Gardermoen was 2.3 %.
Regional airports are experiencing greater disruptions.
The situation is less positive at smaller and more exposed airports, especially in the north
Finland, Sweden, and Norway. In 2025, delays were recorded that were two to three times
higher than at the major airports. More than five percent of flights from Lapland were delayed by over an hour, while Tromsø and Kiruna also had higher delays than the major hub airports.
The data shows that Lapland's airports were the most prone to delays and cancellations in the whole
The North. This became particularly apparent during the Christmas travel period, when thousands of travellers were stranded in
Rovaniemi after a series of delays and cancelled departures. The situation was exacerbated by
the airport's capacity was insufficient, leading to passengers being forced to queue outdoors in
the cold awaiting news about their flights.
– Smaller airports simply have less room for manoeuvre in their planning. When the weather hits or a
If the ship or crew falls out of position, it becomes much harder to catch up on delays.,
which directly increases the risk of delays and cancelled flights, says Radchenko.
Among Sweden's regional airports, Gothenburg Landvetter, Malmö, and Kiruna experienced the most
delays, reflecting the challenges smaller airports face in keeping to schedule, especially
During the winter period and during peak season. The delay percentage was between 2.3 and 2.6
percent by 2025, which is a significant improvement compared to 2024 when it varied between
2.5 and 4 percent. Malmö has particularly improved its punctuality by half, despite the number of
flights were twice as high during 2025.
The gap between large and small airports is growing
A comparison across the region shows an increasing difference between large hubs and smaller regional ones
airports. Large airports benefit from economies of scale, staffing resources, and larger
recovery capacity, while smaller airports are more vulnerable to disruptions.
– The recovery has not been even. The large hubs recovered faster, while the
still lags behind and is more prone to problems, says Radchenko.
Winter continues to be a challenge
Winter continues to be the biggest structural challenge for air traffic in the Nordics. Airports
which serves ski resorts and Arctic destinations are among those most affected year after year
due to delays and cancellations, a pattern that was also evident during 2025.
According to Finnair, it is primarily ground conditions that limit air traffic at
extreme cold. Prior to take-off, the aircraft's wings must be completely free of ice, snow, and frost for
to create sufficient lift. At temperatures below –34 degrees it does not function
the de-icing fluid used before take-off, as it has a fixed lower temperature limit.
When this occurs, flights cannot depart, contributing to higher winter delays, especially in
Lapland where the temperature can drop to –39 degrees.
What this means for travellers
For those flying in the Nordic region, the choice of airport is anything but unimportant. Travellers who fly
via large hubs reduces the risk of long delays, while journeys to regional or
Winter destinations require extra time margins and careful planning.
– Choosing an airport can be just as important as which airline you fly with. Air traffic in
The North has become more punctual than a few years ago, but journeys to regional destinations
"still requires extra planning," Radchenko concludes.
For travellers who are nonetheless affected by delays, it can also be useful to know their
rights. For longer delays, passengers may in many cases be entitled to financial
Compensation under EU rules.
According to the press release.
